Life skills teacher empowers women to dismantle lies and embrace truth

She’s a mother of three, grandmother of five and has a tremendous love for animals. But many in the community know her as someone who helps people realize their own worth.

Gail Peachey has served as a Life Skills Coach at Home of Hope for the last five years, and it’s a vital part of the process of serving the families.. 

She first found out about Home of Hope through her local Kiwanis Club.

“In 2018, I was speaking at the North Gwinnett Kiwanis, and the then-president Barry Sanders was on Home of Hope’s board of directors. We were talking, and the way he put it was, ‘we need you at Home of Hope,’” Gail said. “He put me in touch with them, I got started doing life skills classes, and I’ve been doing them ever since when they need somebody.”

Gail’s passion is showing people how to live to their fullest potential and believe the truth about who they are and what they can do.

“So often we have beliefs that we’ve been raised with, things we’ve heard over and over again that aren’t true – but we begin to live by those beliefs,” she said. “I encourage these women to replace lies with truth and give them the skills to recognize what those lies are and how to replace them.

“My favorite part of volunteering with Home of Hope is definitely connecting with the women. When I’m there and I’m sharing about visioning and increasing your self-worth and they’re responding – that’s what lights me up.”

Along with her work at Home of Hope, Gail serves as secretary on the board of the North Gwinnett Kiwanis and is involved at her church, Phoenix Community of Suwanee.

Life skills classes are a part of Home of Hope’s program, but some of the moms staying at Home of Hope go beyond what’s required – because the knowledge is that useful to them.

“When I come, the group of ladies that I talked with before are never the same the next time. But some have been there multiple times with me – and the fact that they’re still interested in learning is impactful,” Gail said. “It helps me to know that what I’m telling them makes a difference. 

“There have been several times afterward when someone would come up and talk to me and ask me more questions or share something personal or want to know specific things that they can work on in their own life or just give me a hug. That means a lot.

“One mom not too long ago shared with me afterward that she would be leaving soon and that she was really grateful for the things that she’d learned.”

There are often misconceptions about what homelessness looks like. Gail has seen firsthand that these stereotypes are not true of the women at Home of Hope.

“The moms at Home of Hope are incredible women,” she said, “They’re very courageous and work very hard, not just to improve their lives, but to improve the lives of their children, too. It’s just very rewarding and heartwarming to work with them and to see how much they love their kids. They just want to do the best they can.”

And for those wanting to provide a helping hand to those staying at Home of Hope – and the staff caring for them – there are numerous ways to get involved.

“If you have a love for children, they definitely need volunteers to come and work with the kids on Wednesday nights. If you want to see the facilities improved, there’s always a list of things that can be donated. All you have to do is call, and they’ll set you up. 

“Whether it’s a donation or giving your time, it will always be something you’ll feel good about doing.

She firmly believes that the work Home of Hope does is needed, effective and impactful, far beyond what most people realize.

“Home of Hope is making a difference in lives of children. Seeing their lives enhanced – because their mothers are getting back on their feet, finding a place to live and supporting themselves because of having been at Home of Hope – I think we should all know what a great asset that is to all of us.

“Home of Hope is a great organization that does great work – that’s all there is to it.”